I was in Mobile when Donna came through, but my sister was staying with our grandmother here and told us about it. I remember scanning a bunch of old newspaper file photos of Donna a few years ago when the paper was doing a special section on storms. Pictures of people in the gym at Hillsborough High School which served as a shelter. Hampton Dunn's book about Tampa history has some great pictures of the 1921 storm. Even people like me who were born here have not seen a direct hit if they are less than 80 years old or so.
Yeah, I remember Donna, but it wasn't a direct hit.
I remember Elana, but that's just because it hung around forever.
But we've dodged the bullet for years.
I'm not very encouraged that people are taking it seriously. I went to the neighborhood bank to get some cash this evening, and there is "stuff" in everybody's yard like they haven't been listening.
So many times we've been warned, and the storm suddenly diverts from the area. I think it suppresses folks sense of urgency.